Both teams now boast world-class rosters, with their eagerly awaited amateur and promise a dramatic event at the Amata Spring Country Club near Bangkok from December 21 to 23.

Team Thailand’s captains, Boonchu Ruangkit and Virada Nirapathpongporn, who recently added Prom Meesawat, Jazz Janewattananond and LPGA Tour star Thidapa Suwannapura to their outstanding roster, have now added amateur protege Sadom Kaewkanjana to their team.

Team Japan’s captains, Naomichi “Joe” Ozaki and Miho Koga, have bolstered their team by announcing JLPGA Tour stars Erika Hara and Mami Fukuda alongside male amateur, Yuto Katsuragawa. The trio add further strength to a team which already boasts PGA Tour winner Satoshi Kodaira, European Tour star Hideto Tanihara, LPGA Tour winner Nasa Hataoka and stars of the JGTO, such as Kodai Ichihara and Masahiro Kawamura.

The addition of the male amateurs into the teams further underlines the unique concept of the tournament, which not only pits males and females alongside each other, but also professionals and amateurs.

Sadom and Katsuragawa, as the male amateurs on either team, join Atthaya Thitikul and Yuri Yoshida who have been named as the female amateurs. Despite still playing as amateurs, all four players have international experience and have already tasted success in their careers.

 The 22-year-old now tops the rankings with 8.0554 points to rise to No 1 while South Korean Sung Hyun Park fell from No 1 with 7.9029 and her compatriot So Yeon Ryu, another former No 1, remains third with 6.9984 points.

Ariya burst into the scene following three straight wins on the LPGA Tour – the Yokohama Tire Classic, Kingsmill Championship and Volvik Championship) – in 2016.

 She became the first Thai to win on the LPGA Tour and the first Thai to reach world No 1, then won her first Major, the Ricoh Women’s British Open in July that year.

She reached the No 1 position for the first time in June 2017  following her win in the Manulife Classic and also won her second title that year, the CME Group Tour Championship. Her total prize money grossed more than US$1.5 million for two straight years, 2016 and 2017.

Ariya has been the most consistent player on the Tour this year, posting 15 top-10 finishes in 25 events.

She has claimed three wins: the Kingsmill Championship in May, US Open in July, her second Major title, and the Ladies Scottish Open.

She regained the No 1 ranking after Scotland but that stint lasted just two weeks.

With only three events remaining, Ariya was announced as the Rolex Player of the Year winner by the LPGA on Tuesday and is also in contention for the Race to CME Globe award. The latter will earn her US$1 million bonus, which she also won in 2016.

The boys, all members of a Thai youth soccer team called the Wild Boars, were first thought to have died when caves they were visiting with their coach were hit by flash flooding. But, after a marathon search and complex rescue operation, they were found and brought out by an international team of cave divers a staggering 18 days after they were reported missing.

On Sunday, they watched Manchester United host Everton after being invited by the club’s executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward. Woodward extended the invitation soon after the boys were rescued but they were not fit to travel at the time.

Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported on Monday that the boys also hugged Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and met players at United’s training ground on Saturday, the day before the regular season game. ABC News said they took selfies with stars, including Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera, Anthony Martial, and Ashley Young. Sky News said the boys, who are ranged in age between 11 and 17, gasped and cheered when Mourinho entered the room.

For the match, they wore red-and-white United scarves and warm black training tops and sat in the directors’ box.

In the three months since their ordeal, the boys spent time in hospital recovering before appearing at various events, including the United States talk show Ellen and the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina. During the Ellen show, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a soccer player who now suits up for LA Galaxy, made a surprise appearance and told the boys they were “probably the best team in the world”.

They also got to play soccer at Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires against a River Plate junior team.

They saw United beat Everton by a score of 2 to 1 in the English Premier League matchup.

Their visit was tinged with sadness, however, because they participated in a moment of silence in memory of their compatriot, Thai businessman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who died in a helicopter crash on Saturday along with two members of his staff and two pilots after watching Leicester City, the team he owned, play a home match.

The 26-year-old Indian emerged victorious from an enthralling final day battle after firing four birdies in his closing five holes to edge out Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh, who was his closest rival for the title, and win by one shot.

“You know I am really relieved and really happy. I have come close a few times and a lot of my friends have won this season. To finally seal the deal on home soil is a huge monkey off my back. I have no words to describe how I am feeling,” said Joshi, who became the 13th first-time winner this season.

Joshi’s conservative approach has served him well at the Panasonic Open India, where he made the cut in three of the past five editions. This year though, he changed his strategy to great effect.

“This year I played very different from the previous years. I have seen many of the past champions going for it in two shots on the par fives, but I have always just taken a more measured approach. You know, that’s all I did this week, stuck to my game plan and played aggressively and that’s what paid off,” added the Indian star, who moved up to 16th position on the Habitat for Humanity Standings from a previous 23rd place.

The Bengaluru-based Joshi has come a long way since 2016 when he failed to stay inside the top-60 to secure his Asian Tour card. He took a trip back to Qualifying School for the fourth time in 2017 where he would miss the grade in the final stage.

Joshi managed to overcome his disappointment and marked three top-10 finishes that year which included a runner-up finish at the TAKE Solutions Masters, to eventually take 52nd position on the Merit ranks and gain full playing right for the 2018 season.

The Indian was quick to ease off the pressure of retaining his card this year with a tied-fifth finish at the Maybank Championship in February. Since then, he has erased any lingering doubts in his ability, and has been playing with a noticeably different winning mindset.

“Securing my spot for 2019 on the Asian Tour means a lot, because I no longer have to worry about doing enough just to keep my card. Now I can play to win, with a clear mind,” said Joshi.

With the Asian Tour heading into the busy end of the schedule starting with the tri-sanctioned Honma Hong Kong Open presented by Amundi in November, Joshi will have to keep his foot on the gas pedal as continues to display the form of an Asian Tour winner.

“Winning my first Asian Tour event here means the world to me. Winning anyway was great but winning at Delhi Golf club was unbelievable. I have four big weeks coming up after this. I am going to go back work on my game and come back fresh for the Honma Hong Kong Open,” said Joshi.

With the conclusion of the WGC-HSBC Champions that was held in conjunction with the Panasonic Open India, the top-10 on the Habitat for Humanity Standings remain the same as the Tour heads to Hong Kong and Melbourne for the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf in three weeks’ time.

Ends.

Top-20 players on the Habitat for Humanity Standings

Pos       Player  Order of Merit

1            Shubhankar SHARMA (IND) $695,993.55

2            Sanghyun PARK (KOR) $561,898.62

3            Matt WALLACE  (ENG) $446,660.00

4            Gaganjeet BHULLAR  (IND) $422,936.53

5            Scott VINCENT  (ZIM) $420,887.60

6            Justin HARDING  (RSA)   $395,977.88

7            John CATLIN   (USA) $383,132.18

8            Kiradech APHIBARNRAT  (THA)   $372,480.89

9            Sihwan KIM   (USA) $341,763.77

10          Yuta IKEDA  (JPN) $338,671.47

11          Rahil GANGJEE   (IND) $302,628.50

12          Minchel CHOI   (KOR) $286,555.97

13          Jazz JANEWATTANANOND  (THA) $253,308.97

14          Berry HENSON   (USA) $253,020.60

15          Paul PETERSON   (USA) $241,148.57

16          Khalin JOSHI   (IND) $222,432.42

17          Adilson DA SILVA  (BRA) $221,440.05

18          Shaun NORRIS  (RSA) $201,156.39

19          Prom MEESAWAT  (THA) $189,611.13

20          Danthai BOONMA  (THA) $173,358.05

Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha (R) and Aimon Srivaddhanaprabha (L), the son and wife of Leicester City’s Thai chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha pray after laying wreathes at the tributes to the victims of the crash at Leicester City Football Club’s King Power Stadium in Leicester, eastern England, on October 29, 2018. 

Personalities from every quarter of Thai sport have united in deep sorrow following the passing of Leicester City chairman Vichai Sriravaddhanaprapha in a helicopter accident.

Leading sports bodies and athletes have taken to social media to express their shock and condolences for a man widely revered people for what he achieved in recent years.

The 60-year-old business tycoon, a football enthusiast and active polo player, gained global recognition in 2016 as the man who behind the fairytale success of a second-rate club that overcame huge odds to win the English Premier League title.

Vichai was one of five people who died when the helicopter he regularly used to depart home matches crashed near the King Power Stadium on Sunday (Thailand time) after the game against West Ham.

“It was with profound sadness that we learned of the sudden and tragic passing of the Chairman of the King Power and Leicester City Football Club,” said the Football Association of Thailand.

FAT president Somyot Poompanmoung, a close friend of Vichai, immediately flew to London after he heard the news.

“We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the Srivaddhanaprabha family and families of those involved in the tragedy,” the Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand said on its website.

Another close friend of the King Power’s owner Nawin Chidchob, owner of the Thai League champions Buriram United, paid tribute to his dear friend.

“Wichai’s departure is a great loss for Thailand,” he said on his Facebook page. “He sowed the seeds of virtue into the land and to the hearts of Thai people.

“He had contributed so many in Thailand and in Leicester City. He was so loved no matter where he was,” said Nawin, adding that players from Buriram PEA (the team’s former name) were among the first to receive special training at the Leicester Academy.

Thailand goalkeeper Kawin Thamsatchanan, who is currently playing for second-tier Belgium side Oh-Leuven, the second football club in the King Power empire, told of his gratitude for Vichai for paving the way for him to become the first Thai to play professional football in Europe.

“Thank you for allowing me to realise my dream of playing in Europe. No matter how difficult this path lies ahead of me, I will keep fighting and perform my duties at best,” Kawin said on Facebook.

Apart from building free soccer pitches and donating one million footballs for schools nationwide, Vichai also initiated the Fox Hunt project to select children to be trained and educated in Leicester City for three seasons.

Gunn Thanathorn, one of the 2018 Fox Hunt team, wrote on his Facebook: “A million thanks is incomparable to the opportunities you gave us.”

Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha (R) and Aimon Srivaddhanaprabha (L), the son and wife of Leicester City’s Thai chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha who died in a helicopter crash at the club’s stadium, pray after laying wreathes at the tributes to the victims of the crash at Leicester City Football Club’s King Power Stadium in Leicester, eastern England, on October 29, 2018. // AFP PHOTO

With his father gone, Aiyawatt has to take over as the CEO of King Power Group as well as chairman of the English Premier League football club Leicester City. Inheriting a highly lucrative monopoly in airport duty-free operations across the country, including the massive one at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Aiyawatt will find himself facing multiple challenges. His first challenge will be to win a new concession for Suvarnabhumi when the current 10-year licence expires in 2020.

Airports of Thailand (AOT) is under increasing pressure to boost competition in the bidding process for duty-free outlets.

The Thailand Research Development Institute, for instance, has recommended that AOT split the massive duty-free master concession into several smaller concessions for each product category, so as to boost revenues for the state and improve services to more than 40 million tourists per year.

Worawoot Ounjai, president of the Thai Retailers Association, had said earlier that the government needed to improve transparency and fairness in the terms of reference, which will be used to select bidders for the airport duty-free shopping concessions.

AOT is expected to invite bids later this year or next year – well before the current concession ends.

Apart from the lucrative Suvarnabhumi concession, King Power also runs duty-free shops at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport as well as at Chiang Mai, Phuket and Hat Yai airports.

A man waters plants outside the King Power duty-free outlets at the King Power headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, 29 October 2018. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

It has also set up several duty-free outlets outside the airports, including in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya, with the largest being King Power’s branch in Bangkok’s Soi Rang Nam. Positioned as a global player in tourism and duty-free shopping, the group has also invested in the Bangkok Pullman Hotel and King Power Mahanakorn, a high-rise hotel and Bangkok observation centre, as well as in a state-of-the-art theatre.

According to Forbes Thailand magazine, Vichai was listed as the ninth richest person in Thailand in 2015 when his net worth was estimated at Bt83 billion. The following year, he rose by two ranks with an estimated net worth of Bt116 billion. Vichai rose to the No 5 slot in 2018 with an estimated net worth of Bt162.1 billion.

However, it remains unclear if Aiyawatt has his father’s mettle, especially in terms of having a formidable wheeler-dealer attitude, even though he has been groomed over the past several years for these new challenges.

A portrait of Leicester City Football Club’s Thai chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who died in a helicopter crash at the club’s stadium, is seen amid flowers and tributes outside the King Power Stadium in Leicester, eastern England, on October 29, 2018. // AFP PHOTO

THE EXTENT to which Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was held in high esteem became apparent yesterday when his death in a helicopter crash generated headlines in newspapers and TV stations across the globe.

Leicester City’s Thai billionaire chairman was among five people killed when his chopper crashed and burst into flames in the Premier League side’s King Power Stadium car park moments after taking off early on Sunday (Thailand time).

Several hours after the horrific incident, Leicester confirmed people’s worst fears – that Vichai and the four other people on board had indeed lost their lives. “The world has lost a great man,” the club said.

“Leicester City was a family under his leadership. It is as a family that we will grieve his passing and maintain the pursuit of a vision for the club that is now his legacy.”

TV networks, including CNN, interrupted programmes with the breaking news and a stream of fans already fearing the worst soon started laying out flowers, football scarves and Buddhist prayers outside the club’s stadium.

They expressed their heartfelt tributes to the man they credited for their fairytale Premier League victory in 2016 as surely as if he had been one of their own.

Among those touched by the tragedy was Prince William, a friend of Vichai and himself a helicopter pilot. The prince said Vichai had made a “big contribution” to not only football, but also local charities. “My thoughts today are with the family and friends of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and all the victims of the terrible crash at Leicester City Football Club,” William said.

“I was lucky to have known Vichai for several years. He was a businessman of strong values who was dedicated to his family and who supported a number of important charitable causes.”

A portrait of Leicester City Football Club’s Thai chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who died in a helicopter crash at the club’s stadium, is seen amid flowers and tributes outside the King Power Stadium in Leicester, eastern England, on October 29, 2018. // AFP PHOTO

Leicester and England striker Jamie Vardy, one of the heroes of the 2016 championship success, added on Instagram: “Struggling to find the right words … but to me you are legend, an incredible man who had the biggest heart, the soul of Leicester City Football Club.

“Thank you for everything you did for me, my family and our club. I will truly miss you … may you rest in peace … #theboss”.

The impact made by Leicester’s remarkable rise under Vichai across the continent was reflected, as Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid both expressed their condolences.

“The club wants to show their condolences to his family, his friends and all the Leicester fans,” said European champions Madrid.

“Our thoughts are with the whole @lcfc family. Rest in peace,” Barca posted on Twitter.

A book of condolences will be opened at the stadium today and the team has postponed an upcoming Cup fixture against Southampton as it comes to terms with the tragedy.

“Everyone at the club has been truly touched by the remarkable response of the football family, whose thoughtful messages of support and solidarity have been deeply appreciated at this difficult time,” the statement said.

Police named the four other victims as Nursara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, two members of Vichai’s staff, pilot Eric Swaffer and passenger Izabela Roza Lechowicz. Police have already handed the file over to air accident investigators, while some eyewitnesses hailed the pilot as a hero for steering the plunging helicopter away from the still-busy stadium.

One newspaper, the Daily Mirror, described Swaffer as a veteran pilot with many years’ experience, who previously flew members of the Royal Family and celebrities.

Vichai, 60, the owner of Thailand’s King Power duty-free empire, was a regular at matches who used to fly to and from home games. The blue chopper took off from the middle of the pitch once the stadium had emptied after a game against West Ham.

Eyewitnesses said the helicopter appeared to develop a mechanical problem in its rear propeller shortly after takeoff.

Images showed orange balls of flame engulfing the wreckage in the car park of the stadium where just two years ago Leicester had celebrated the most unlikely of Premier League title triumphs.

A man kneels with a statue of the Buddha and devotional scripture in front of the floral tributes gathered outside Leicester City Football Club’s King Power Stadium in Leicester, eastern England, on October 28, 2018 after a helicopter belonging to the club’s Thai chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha crashed outside the stadium the night before. // AFP PHOTO

Football fans in Bangkok said Vichai had helped develop the sport in Thailand as well, bringing the Southeast Asian country greater recognition in the sporting world.

“He is an important person who has raised the bar of Thai football further,” said Leicester fan Apichart Jitratkavee. Chamat Uchukan-okkul, 39, said Vichai had been “an inspiration to Thais … he showed that we can do anything if we set our minds to do it”.

Vichai bought Leicester City in 2010 and became chairman the following February, pouring a fortune into the team. It was under Vichai’s ownership that Leicester crafted one of the biggest fairytales in English football history by winning the 2015/16 Premier League.

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s son and widow were seen laying a wreath among a sea of tributes from fans outside the stadium, including flowers, football scarves and Buddhist statues.

Vichai’s son Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, known as “Top”, is chief executive of his father’s duty-free empire King Power and also vice-chairman of the football club Vichai bought in 2010.

Air accident investigators also on Monday said they had recovered the helicopter’s digital flight data recorder, which was subject to “intense heat” in a fire after the crash.

    “Today our inspectors.. will start working on the recorder,” the Air Accidents Investigation Branch said in a statement.

Along with other family members and executives from King Power, the two were also seen laying wreaths at the crash site in a car park near the stadium, which is still cordoned off as air accident investigators pick through the wreckage.

Smoke rises from the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed in a car park outside Leicester City Football Club’s King Power Stadium in Leicester, eastern England, on October 27, 2018. // AFP PHOTO

Five people died in Saturday’s crash, including also two members of Vichai’s staff, Nursara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, pilot Eric Swaffer and the pilot’s girlfriend, Izabela Roza Lechowicz, also a pilot.

Nursara Suknamai was an actress and a runner-up in Miss Thailand Universe in 2005.

Vichai, 60, a regular at matches who used to fly to and from home games, was much-loved in the city as the driving force behind the club’s historic 2016 Premiership victory.

His blue helicopter took off from the pitch after the stadium emptied following Saturday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham, but crashed moments later in the car park.

Earlier British Prime Minister Theresa May and Prince William, who is president of the Football Association, offered their condolences over the crash.

“I was lucky to have known Vichai for several years. He was a businessman of strong values who was dedicated to his family and who supported a number of important charitable causes,” said William, the Duke of Cambridge.

“He made such a big contribution to football, not least through Leicester City’s magical 2016 season that captured the imagination of the world.

“He will be missed by all fans of the sport and everyone lucky enough to have known him.”

May said her thoughts were with the family and friends of the victims as well as supporters of the club.

“The outpouring of grief is a testament to how many people’s lives were touched by those on board,” she said in a statement.

Vichai bought Leicester City in 2010 and became chairman the following February, pouring millions into the team and becoming a beloved figure in the club and the city — a feat rarely achieved by the Premier League’s foreign owners.

It was under Vichai’s ownership that Leicester crafted one of the biggest fairytales in English football history by winning the 2015/16 Premier League, having started the season as 5,000-1 outsiders for the title.

It’s almost time for the last chance saloon to get into the Grand Final of the 2018 MotoGP™ eSport Championship: Semi-Final 2. Qualifying players from Challenges 5 – 8 are gearing up for the battle and action gets underway in Madrid from 19:00 (GMT +1) on Tuesday.

The MotoGP™ eSport Championship is bigger and better than before in 2018, with even more challenges at even more tracks. This year there are two Semi-Final events – the first one that took place at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, and the second and final shot for the hopefuls that’s about to light up the Movistar eSports Center in Madrid. Once we have our final graduates decided in this Semi-Final, it will all go down to the Grand Final at Valencia alongside the season closer for MotoGP™ with plenty of incredible prizes to play for – including a BMW M240i!

The first players who move through from Semi-Final 1 are CRISTIANMM17, ANDREWZH, LUIGI48GP, TIMOTHYMCGARDEN61, ADRIAAN_26 and ELEGHOST555. 12 more gamers from the UK, Italy, Spain, France and Indonesia are now ready to fight it out to join them, with six places still up for grabs. Some are returners, however, after some big drama hit the first showdown – with reigning Champion, Italian TRASTEVERE73, one of those still looking to graduate and continue to fight to defend the crown. They’ll be competing on Intel-powerd Lenovo Legion PCs, and the six final places in the Grand Final will be decided. The programme will last an hour, with a qualifying session of ten minutes before the lights go out for the ten lap race.

So where can you watch? There will be extensive TV and digital coverage of the showdown, with Movistar MotoGP and Movistar eSports for Spain – and Movistar eSports will also show the Semi-Final on YouTube. Fox Sports Australia and Sky New Zealand – the latter on SKY Sport channels and online platforms SkyGO and Fanpass – provide coverage in Oceania, beIN Sports in the US and Canada and ESPN will broadcast across Latin America with the exception of Brazil. It’s all on OSN in the Middle East & North Africa, Sport 5 in Israel and Fox Sports in Asia. Sony broadcast in India on their SonyLIV platform, and MTV3 will broadcast in Finland on both their Digital Platforms and TV.

Digital streaming will also provide coverage across the world, with motogp.com and esport.motogp.com both showing the event – as well as the YouTube accounts of both MotoGP™ and the MotoGP™ eSport Championship. Digital coverage is further augmented via Twitter, Facebook and Twitch.

Who will take the final six places in the Grand Final? Find out on Tuesday when Semi-Final 2 gets underway in Madrid from 19:00 (GMT +1) and the quickest from Online Challenges 5 – 8 do battle.

Melbourne – India’s Anirban Lahiri selected nine-time Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar to complete Team India at the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf following Shubhankar Sharma’s announcement of his withdraw from the event. The 2018 ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf will be contested at The Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne from 21-25 November, 2018. The 59^th staging of the event will see the 56-player field vie for the largest prize-money purse in Australian golf, with $US7 million on offer.

Bhullar, 30, has enjoyed another stellar season on the Asian Tour, collecting four top-5 finishes, including a win at the Fiji International presented by Fiji Airways, where the Kapurthala, India native closed with a final-round 66 to edge Australia’s Anthony Quayle by one stroke and 2019 Presidents Cup International Team Captain Ernie Els by two. Bhullar qualified for last week’s World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions by virtue of being inside the top 5 of the Asian Tour Order of Merit, where he finished T46.

It will be Bhullar’s second time teeing it up in the World Cup of Golf, having last played in the team event in 2013 at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, where he also partnered with Lahiri, who is also a two-time International team member of the Presidents Cup.

“It’s a great privilege for me,” Bhullar said. “We play all of these individual events and we hardly get to represent our country so I’m very honored and feel my hard work has definitely paid off this year.

“This will be my second event in the World Cup with my previous one being with Anirban, so we really gel on the golf course. We’ve played a lot of junior and amateur golf together and understand each other’s game plan really well so I’m looking forward to the World Cup.”

Following Sharma’s withdraw from the event, Lahiri, who is now established on the PGA TOUR, was given the option to select a partner to join him in Melbourne.

“Gagan has been playing very consistently this year and had an amazing win in Fiji,” Lahiri said. “He’s got a really solid all-around game and practically no weaknesses.

“We go back a long way and this won’t be our first time for Team India. We have good chemistry on the course and understand each other’s game well. I think we will combine for a strong Team India.”

Lahiri and Bhullar were part of the Indian national team to win the team silver medal in the 2006 Asian Games when they were amateurs.